Black-out window shade



Sept. 14, 1943. A. 1.. THEXTON BLACKOUT WINDOW SHADE Fiied Jan. 20, 1942 1 INVENTOR.

BY kz/wfiw Patented Sept. 14, 1943 'BncK-o'm'wmfiowsmim 1 ArthiinL'Thexton, Fortfrhonias, Ky'.,?'assignorto,

Clopay Corporation, Cincinnati, Qhio, abort-f J poration of Maryland "Application January 20, 1942, Serial 5Claims. (o1.1s0;..-296 "{;f;'

This invention relates to 1 window shades and the installation of them upon windows. It isdirected particularly to the so-called blacking out of windows, that is, hanging. a' shade over a window or frame'thereof in such manner that light within the'room is notvisible from'the outside. Precautions of thissort have become necessary in many localities during recent months inasmuch as the light escaping name: window mayoffer a target,.or serve as a guide, to an airplane during night warfare." l The principal object of the invention has been to provide means for enabling the average-house holder to observe these precautions easily, quick: ly, inexpensively, and to'make the necessary'in stallation without tools, except a hammer or screw driver. a i. 1i

Black fabrics and drapes, while better than nothing,.are not suitable .because'of their-cost and also because they cannoteasily be removed. when once installed. lnxthis'respect, the" objective has been to provide an arrangement in which-the blackout shade at night is capable of serving its purpose effectivelyand yet is also capable of being raised outof the way during the daytime so that light. can be admitted .to the room.

In accordance with the present invention win-' dow shades which are made of paper are preferred as the main window covering or light obstruction. Shades constructed in accordance with the .Johnson -United States. Patent"No. 1,807,533, of May 26, 1931, havinga'black pig-U ment so as to render them opaque to light, are very suitable. Window shades havingboatings as described in the United Statespatent to Johnson No. 2,064,165, of December-15, 1936, are particularly suitable inasmuch as thecoatings arenot liable to cracking or to the development of pin points through which light might escape." However, in place of such window shades, other types of fibrous shades can be employed audit is also to be observed that woven'fabric shades are also suitable though considerably more ex-' pensive. -In any case,'the shades areinstalled over the window area in the usual manner, for example, upon conventional shade brackets fas-' tened to the window frame. Withathe. shade proper passing from the roller adjacent the 'window there i little clearance space at the top of the window through which light; mightg pass. The chief difliculty of obstructing the passage of lightis at the bottom of the shade where it hangs free adjacent the sill. 1 a

r In accordance with thelpresent; invention The slattstick .in a conventional shadeextends brackets are. providedi'which cooperate with the, shadeslat. at, the lower edge ofthe shade for.

holdingthis portion closelyagainst the window proper or. the .window frame. Thesev brackets are mounted 'upon theand provide clips. within which the lower'edge of .thewi'ndow shade, that is, that portion of the shade surrounding the. slat,.-may be inserted.

entirely. across the .lower edge thereof. The brackets hold this stiff edge. of the shadeagainst the sill and, thus, the entire shade is held yin the desired position over? the window. When. day

comes and it'is desired .to let light into the room, F the lower edge. of the shade is disengaged from the clips and is'then free-Etc be raised by rolling it upon the shade r'oller in the usual manner.

In the preferred structure the" brackets are I of U-shaped clipcformation and have slotted shanks through which nails or screws arepassed to fasten the brackets to the sill. The slotsin the. .shanks extend longitudinally thereof and therefore'enable the brackets to be slid toward and away from thewindowover the sill surface.

Byslidin'g the braekets'forwardly the lower edge.

of the window shade can beturned-toward a horizontal plane until it lies substantially parallel to the sill surface and then entered into the clips of the brackets-whereupon -the :brackets are pushed back to move the shade toward the surface of the window. In this manner the shade is'held'very closely to the window surface so that substantially no gaps exist through which light might'pass or be reflected. With'the bottom of the shade being held against the silland with the shade roller tendingto wind up the shade a-tension is exerted for holding theshade over the window area I in a relatively tautconditionsmooth and fiat tendency for the'shadesto separate from the frame theyalso are held against the frame pressure sensitive variety, applied at intervals along the edges of the shade, or by means of metal cleats rotatably .mounted adjacent the edges. so as .to extend over, the shade to hold it to the frame ,when they are in the horizontal position and so as-to resides substantially parallel: to the shade; to permit'itto be lifted-when they arerotated through aquarter turn. p

The drawing illustrates preferred embodi-i ments of the present improvement and also shows:

other a a ta es ,ofl 'hein ti nsill at suitable intervals If the windows are very tall and there is a installation in accordance with the present invention. Figure 2 is a perspective view showing a typical clip for holding the lower edge of the shade to the window sill.

Figure 3 is a sectional elevation showing the manner in which the shade is held by the clip to the sill.

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the clip.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary elevation showing a cleat installed upon a window Irame'for holding the edges at the mid portion of the shade to the frame.

As shown in Figure 1, the shade is mounted on a spring actuated roller in the usual manner and the roller is supported between brackets 2 which are mounted on the window framing I. The shade 4 depends from the roller over thee-face of the window and terminates in a hemmed lo'wer edge i-with a conventional wooden slat or-thelike .1 carried within the "hem to5s-tifierr-the lower edge 01' the" shade. A'pull cord 8 likewise passes through the "hem and throughthe slat thereof in the usual manner. The shade, the roller and the brackets, as well as the mounting thereof upon a window, do" not form any part of the present invention and are not thereiore described in-inore detail; V in The clips usedlfor holding the lower edge of the shade are indicated genera'lly'ats in Figurez.

It'is"desirable"to mount at least :two of these brackets onthe' sill at "spaced intervals across the window, 'more being used if the Window is averywideone'. i w

The clips s preferably are u-sha'pedpieces having a long leg"!!! and a relatively short leg H which, cooperating with the long leg, forms a clip-for receiving the lower edge of the. window shade; The short leg II- has a ridge l2. extend-= ing across its inner face in order that the clip may frictionally hold the lower edge or thesliade and thereby prevent it from becoming unseated, Tl'ie ridge preferably is of a generally rounded configuration so that the lower edge of'the' shade is not marred when it is inserted in the clip; The lateral spacing of the short leg from the long leg is such that the lower edge or the shade, including the wooden slat "contained'within the hem thereof, fits snugly Within the aperture." It isldsirable't'o' construct the brackets of light weight sheettmetal; in thismanner the clip is relativelyyieldable and spring-like.

Long leg; H! ,of'the clip is provided with an elongated slot l3 extending longitudinally of the bracket. This slot is sufilciently wide to permit a nail or screw to pass through lt.--

The mounting of the clip upon the sill of the window is shown best in Figures 3, and 4. The outer face of ,thelong leg rests against thesurface of the sill, with the long leg extending toward the window; and theclip portion ofthe bracket being farthest removed therefrom. In installing the bracket it is. desirable to pflacea washerover the long leg I10 and then pass anall'o r screw through the washer and the slot in such manner that the bracket may be slid ffrictionally over the sill surface. It is also desirable to position the bracket upon the sill so that when't he bracket is pushed towardthe window as far as" possible the inner edge of the long leg will be just adjacent the window framei- 'l he' shade prererably is of such width as to substantially overlap the window and the marginal portions of the frame thereof.

The fastening of the shade to the clips is shown best in Figure 4. With the brackets pulled out as far as possible away from the window, the hemmed edge of the shade is turned from its normally vertical position to a substantially horizontal position, that is, fiat with respect to the window sill. The shade is then pulled down sufliciently far to enable the forepart of the engagement of the lower edge of the shade with hem to enter the clips, thereby seating the lower edge .of the shade within the clips. The clips are then pushed back toward the window to carry the entire lower portion of the shade to light sealing position over the frame.

If the window is very high and the shade roller does not provide adequate tension for maintainill over portion being yiel'dable ing the edges of the shade flatly against the frame at the mid portions of the shade, cleats of the type shown in Figure '5 may be employed. These cleats are metal elements adapted to be nailed to the frame adjacent the shade edge in order that they may extend in one position over the shade to hold it against the frame. When rotated through a quarter turn these cleats reside substantially parallel to the shade edge-and, therefore, permit the shade to be raised and lowered freely,

As an item of economy, it is to be observed that these cleats l4 may constitute the p'unchings which are removed from the main brackets when the slots l3 are out therein. As such, these pieces wouldordinarily be waste material.' However, they'serve usefully ascleats for fastening the edges of the shades and their use for this purpose entails no additional cost.

Having described my invention, I claimi' '1.--A bracket devicejof the class described comprising a piece of sheet metalliaving an end portion thereof bent over to constitute withthe unbent portion; a usshaped clip adapted to receive the lower edge of a window shade, with the un bent portion having slot means thrr'ein'ior'receiv ingea fastenerby which the bracket can be slid"- ably mounted upon the window sill.

2. A bracket adapted to be mounted upon a window sill for holding the lower edge of awindow shade in substantially light sealing relationship with respect to the window frame and sill, said bracket comprising a piece of sheet metal havingan end portion thereof bent 'over to form all-shaped clip adapted'for engagement with the lower edge of a window shade, the said bent and having smooth edges whereby the lower potion of the window shade may be attached to and detached from the clip without substantial marring of the surface thereof, with the unbent portion of said'bracket having a slot therein for receivinga fastener by which the bracket may be slid'ably m'ounted'upon the window sill. I

3. Abr'acket adapted to "be mounted upon a window sill for holding the lower edge of a window shade in; substantially light sealing relationship with respect to" the window frame and sill, said bracket comprising a piece of sheetineta l having an end portion thereof bent over to form alJ- shaped clip adapted forengagement with the loweredge of a window shade, the bent over portionof the'bracket having a ridge extending laterally across its inner face, said ridgeconstituting a' detent for frictionally engaging the shade material, with the unbent portionof said brackethavi'ng an elongated aperture therein for receiving a fastener by which the bracket may be slidably mounted upon a window sill for movement toward and from the window sash.

4. A device for detachably fastening the lower edge of a window shade to a window sill, the said device constituting a bracket presenting a U-shaped clip for reception of the hemmed edge of a window shade and having additional means by which the bracket may be slidably mounted upon the window sill to move to and from the window sash; whereby the bracket can be slid over the sill toward the sash after the hemmed edge of the shade has been entered into the clip 7 portion of the bracket.

5. A device of the class described comprising apiece of sheet metal having means at an end portion thereof constituting a yieldabl clip for receiving the lower edge of a Window shade, the said piece of metal having slot means therein for receiving a fastener by which the bracket can be slidably mounted upon the window sill.

ARTHUR L. THEXTON. 

